News

USIS Washington File

26 June 2000

Text: U.S. Announces New Life-Saving Measures for Southwest Border

(INS seeks to educate migrants on dangers of illegal border crossings)
(830)

Immigration agents stationed along the southwestern U.S. border will
receive additional training in emergency life-saving techniques,
including water-rescue programs for agents who patrol along rivers and
canals, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) announced
June 26.

The new training builds on the 2-year-old U.S. Border Safety
Initiative, which seeks to educate migrants on the dangers of illegal
border crossings and to ensure the safety of those who disregard the
warnings.

Following is the text of the INS announcement:

(begin text)

June 26, 2000

INS Intensifies Life-Saving Measures Along the Southwest Border

WASHINGTON -- Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
Commissioner Doris Meissner and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gustavo De La
Vina today announced plans to intensify safety efforts to reduce
injuries and prevent fatalities along the Southwest border.

The new measures are designed to ensure that all Border Patrol agents
on the Southwest border have appropriate safety training. They include
the development of swift-water rescue training programs in sectors
where agents patrol along rivers and canals.

"Protecting our borders includes the obligation to protect lives.
Since its launch two years ago, the Border Safety Initiative has
greatly strengthened our ability to meet this obligation," said
Meissner, noting that more than 2,000 migrants have been rescued from
life-threatening situations since the initiative's inception in June
1998. "We must continue to build and redouble safety efforts because
just one death is one too many."

The Border Safety Initiative, developed in close cooperation with
Mexican officials, is designed to educate migrants about the risks and
dangers of crossing the border illegally and to assist those who do
not heed the warnings. It has three elements: prevention,
search-and-rescue and identification.

The Initiative draws on longstanding public safety measures practiced
locally by the Border Patrol along the Southwest border. "With this
foundation, we have developed an aggressive border-wide safety
program," said Chief De La Vina. He added, "Our goal is to further
strengthen this program by continuing to heighten training and
awareness among all agents, from Brownsville to Imperial Beach, of the
dangers migrants face."

INS is enhancing the current initiative by focusing on agent training.
In addition to specialized training programs for rescues in swift
waters, the Border Patrol sectors are also establishing refresher
programs in CPR and advanced emergency first aid, subjects taught to
all agents during basic training. The Border Safety Initiative is
being incorporated into the operational plan of each station on the
Southwest border so that safety is incorporated into all operational
decisions.

In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mexican
Government, INS will participate in joint training exercises with
their Mexican counterparts in order to keep agents on both sides of
the border prepared and trained in public safety measures. INS and the
Mexican Government will continue to share critical information and
where appropriate, equipment that will allow both governments to
increase public safety along the border.

Border Patrol sectors are continuing their outreach efforts to warn
migrants of the dangers of crossing the border illegally through local
public service announcements that are aired in the border region in
both the United States and Mexico. Posters that warn would-be crossers
about the dangers of putting their lives into the hands of smugglers
are being placed in highly visible areas in INS facilities in the
hopes that the message will reach migrants who may be considering
using a smuggler to bring family members across the border illegally.

"Intensifying our focus on public safety is critical, especially as we
move into the summer months when the dangers associated with illegal
crossings rise with the temperature," Chief De La Vina said.

These initiatives build on actions INS has already taken to increase
the safety of the border region. As part of the Border Safety
Initiative, INS has:

-- Developed and implemented a comprehensive methodology for tracking
migrant deaths and rescues;

-- Mapped dangerous crossing points and developed reports outlining
where deaths and injuries occur;

-- Deployed technology and personnel to cover especially hazardous
areas;

-- Worked with Mexican officials to place warning signs at major
transportation areas and especially dangerous crossing points;

-- Expanded the coordination of public information efforts with U.S.
and Mexican media outlets to warn would-be crossers about dangerous
crossing points;

-- Developed formal agreement with Mexican officials on the schedules
for returns of migrants to Mexico with special provisions for children
and women;

-- Equipped all vehicles with extra water and coolers;

-- Developed toll-free numbers in the United States for anyone to call
INS if they see migrants who may be in danger and in need of rescue;
and

-- Worked with Mexican consuls, local medical examiners and INS
officials to establish border-wide procedures to identify the
deceased.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)